Hatching Sparkling
by Teenage-Oddball
Summary: Children are a gift, not a curse. If you deem them a curse, they will be cursed. If their spark is broken, Unicron can seep through those emotional cracks. Slight gore and spiritual references, the relationship between Bumblebee and Ratchet is father/son.


'blah blah' 3rd Person

'_blah blah' sparkling's point of view_

_What is this, how? _

_Sight. _

_Why do I call it that? _

_Sight, in it I see something. _

_Blue… _

…_but why do these words just come? _

_They answer my questions… _

…_floating in blue, again. Why? _

_It means something, says I must remember for something, for what I ask? _

_Black. _

_**Systems Detaching, Ovulating Stasis Cancelling.**_

_What do I call all that? _

_A Dream… _

_**System On lining Beginning.**_

Ratchet figured that smoking and walking around the base always took his mind of things, he always seemed to do it when he was stressed and by the time he had reached the end of the corridor or his cigarette was reduced to ash in his mouth, he normally had forgot what he was stressed about. It didn't seem to be working this time, maybe it was because the reason he was stressed affected him in a way. He was a doctor, he saw this coming and had prepared him and Arcee for it, their situation was no different than any other mate couple that had ended up getting twins. Every time two transformers grew in the same cocoon, one lived and one survived but that didn't apply to transformers that were conjoined in the cocoon like Skids and Mudflap, he hoped Ironhide was grateful for that.

Sideswipe was the twin of Ratchet and Arcee that had survived, he matured very quickly after learning that he had a dying twin. His twin Sunstreaker hadn't left the med bay since hatching and was stuck on life support, his spark beating with its aid. Being the medic of the team, it was Ratchet's job to decide what was best for the sparkling, turning off life support and leaving him at peace but every time he ordered himself to flick the switch he couldn't find the will to watch the machine power down and take his son with it.

Ratchet inhaled the tar ridden smoke into his intakes and sighed it back out again as he walked past the high-grade energon storage quarters, he decided he needed some to get drunk and take his mind off things for a bit. He altered course and typed in the number code on the keypad next to the door, all the storage rooms in the base had the same code to make it easier to remember and the high-grade room was no exception. Ratchet wasn't surprised though when the door didn't budge as they were old and hardly ever opened with the right code, you could easily pull them open anyway. He grabbed the edges of the door were they met in the middle and forced them into the wall until the whole room was visible.

The sight that met Ratchet's optics made his mouth drop open and the cigarette come crashing down with it.

In the room hanging from the ceiling was a cocoon, a transparent blue cocoon home to a tiny new transformer inside, sleeping and dreaming peacefully. The roots of it were digging into the solid metal structure of the base and pushing against the pipes that circulated the building, producing a quiet but strained sound.

Ratchet took a steady step towards the cocoon and crushing the cigarette beneath his feet in the process, someone had deliberately changed the code on the door to prevent anyone from finding their sparkling but whom. When he thought about it he didn't have many options to put his finger on, there was Ironhide and Chromia but having Skids and Mudflap had put them off interfacing again and it certainly wasn't him and Arcee's.

Ratchet placed a hand gently onto the skin of the cocoon but it turned savagely cold and stung his hand, he staggered back. It was as cold as liquid nitrogen, this cocoon would break any moment and the sparkling would come into the world, if it was going to be born soon he wouldn't be able to deliver it on his own. He turned on his COM link and contacted the bots whom would be most useful in this situation; they would be at work or training though. Surely their bosses or trainers would make an exception if they explained to situation. He contacted Arcee, Sideswipe, Jazz and Ironhide, He would have called Chromia but she would be bombarded with the younglings downstairs, she needed to keep an eye on them.

All four COM links buzzed to life and Ratchet began to speak before they even go in hello, "Guys, don't say anything just listen. I've found a cocoon in the high grade storage room and it's going to hatch soon, I need you all back to help. Ratchet out." He cut call and turned to the cocoon again; he smiled and took a step forward to it. He started to think about its parents, why would they leave it here and who were they?

Ratchet remembered his childhood, how he felt. He figured that if this sparkling knew its situation, maybe it wouldn't end up like he did. He looked behind him at the open door; his sensors didn't pick up anything or anyone.

Ratchet began to circle the cocoon, slowly. He took in every dark blue vein that ran across it's surface as he gently traced his fingers across it's surface, over every ridge where there was a vein. His finger stung slightly as he traced the ice cold surface, but he didn't care.

He took a deep breath, and then spoke to the sparkling.

"Hello there," Ratchet began, he thought about not bothering as it was very unlikely the sparkling would be able to hear what he was saying, it would sound like a bunch of metallic drones from where the sparkling was. Something compelled him though, something told him that the sparkling was making sense of what he'd said and so he carried on. "My name is Ratchet, I hope I didn't wake you from a dream, I apologise if I did." There was nothing in response from the cocoon that would suggest that he sparkling had heard him, it was as still as when Ratchet first found it. He carried on, "You stung my hand before, but I guess you couldn't help," He chuckled a little, still no response but Ratchet felt like he was accomplishing something so he continued to communicate with the unborn sparkling. "Listen, you and me, we're in the same situation. I'll explain. When I was in the cocoon, my parents weren't there. I knew they weren't there. You're parents, I don't know where they are. You know that, don't you?" Stillness was the only reply from the cocoon, he continued, "Nobody knows how, but you know they're not here. You feel angry, at your parents but at the whole world too. You feel as if no one cares about you, you feel lonely." The cocoon remained still but Ratchet felt something has clicked, as if the sparkling understood, "Don't feel that way, because I'm here for you. I'm not your mum, or your dad, or any relative of yours. That doesn't matter, because I'll always be by your side. I promise."

Ratchet stopped circling and turned to face the cocoon, staring intently at the shadow underneath the transparent blue surface. He slowly raised his hand and placed the tip of finger onto the surface of the cocoon, it wasn't cold, it didn't burn or sting. He lowered his full palm onto the cocoon, he slowly began to stroke it with that hand and also brought the other one to the surface.

Ratchet felt something underneath his palm, a small lump bulge outwards slightly. He looked to his hand, there was shadow. Ratchet's own hand was in the way of the whole shadow, but he could make out very dainty finger tips behind it. Slowly, the shadow of the sparkling's arm came into view. Ratchet's optics followed it from the hand, to the shoulder, to it's face.

The cocoon was blurring the face of the sparkling, but the optics still shone through as bright as anything. The shone directly into Ratchet's own optics. He couldn't see the emotions of sparkling, it's face was merely an emotionless shadow. Maybe it was studying him, but then again what was there to see? To the sparkling, he was merely a shadow too. What could the sparkling gain by studying a shadow? Ratchet didn't move all the same, he just let the sparkling stare and study him.

He felt something on his fingertip, a soft touch. He turned his gaze down and saw that the cocoon skin had stretched outwards. The sparkling had pushed it fingers and was trying to get it's hand curled round Ratchet's, but the cocoon wouldn't stretch any further.

Ratchet & the sparkling looked back at each others optics in perfect sync, the aqua optics of both burning with curiosity about each other.

"Ratchet?" There came a deep gruff voice from the door way, one of concern and question. Ratchet watched the shadow retreat to the other side of the cocoon, he watched it fade with the optics. He sighed with a groan in annoyance at the one who'd interrupted the precious moment between him and the unborn sparkling.

"Hey Ironhide," He said, a normal as ever to hide his agitated side. The weapons expert entered the high grade storage room slowly, as to not alarm the sparkling.

"Well I'll be…" He muttered quietly as he came in line with the medic, he turned to face his comrades, "So, who's is it?" He asked just out of interest, he knew it wasn't him and Chromia's (not after Skids and Mudflap arrived) and Ratchet and Arcee hadn't said anything about wanting another child, given their current situation with one of their twins.

"Dunno," Ratchet replied simply, turning to Ironhide, "There's no one here I can think of, so the thing is, how could somebody have gotten in, delivered the cocoon, and gotten out without anyone on this base noticing?"

"It makes as much sense to me as it does to you, poor kid…" Ironhide felt sorry for the child, it was never nice for any sparkling that ended up in this situation. He knew that from personal experience, not that his parents weren't there, but someone else's. Someone whom he knew very well now, but then, feared…

In the distant past…

Ironhide banged hard on Optimus' bedroom door, then leaning over to catch his breath. He heard the footsteps and the door slide open, and Optimus looking down to see the youngling panting at his feet. Optimus kneeled down to Ironhide's level and placed his hand on his shoulders, even shook him a little.

"Hide, you okay?" He asked gently, the youngling merely carried on panting until he finally breathed out something.

"Ther…a…cocoo…" Ironhide couldn't get out anymore, he just grabbed Optimus' wrist and dragged him to what he's saw. The teen ran bent over behind the little mech, wondering what the hell had got him so distressed.

Ironhide had Optimus running through remote area of the base, just a bunch of spare rooms made up most of the building. They were all locked, until needed.

Ironhide had arrived at the base from another corner of Iacon about a year ago with his mother and father, Optimus had helped him get settled in and adjust. He offered for Ironhide to stay in his own room, until he became comfortable with his new living environment. Today, Hide had decided to go room searching as he felt confident enough that he not need Optimus' guidance as much now. He had Optimus get the room codes for this building, and he was looking through each and every room, locking them after he'd finished.

Ironhide stopped in front of the only open door in the corridor, pushing Optimus towards it and prompting him to go in.

"Go on, you need to have a look!" He moaned impatiently as he pushed the larger mech towards the partly opened door.

"Okay okay, calm down," The teen joked, chuckling a little but not so much as to aggravate the youngling further. This was obviously quite serious to him, so he too tried to take it seriously. He'd never seen Ironhide in such a state before, he was always so strong and calm. It made him laugh in a way to see him in such a peculiar state of mind.

Optimus obediently pushed the door open more and began to walk in confidently, but when he realised what was inside, he stopped in his tracks.

Before him was a cocoon, a large slit on it's skin with ovulation fluid dripping onto the cold metal floor. Optimus followed the light purple energon cord that emerged from the cocoon to the floor, and didn't hesitate his actions after he saw what was lying there underneath, shivering in the cold but also in fear.

Optimus started to approach the sparkling, slowly as to not alarm or scare it even more than it already was. The sparkling had it's head face down into the floor, it's servos covering the top of it's head, a natural action to try and protect itself from those who might try to harm it.

As Optimus knelt beside the sparkling, he took a good long look at every detail of it's body. The energon cord hadn't been able to make the distance from the cocoon to the floor, so had been torn from the sparkling's body, Optimus could see the bleeding scar on it's abdomen. It's soft weak body was dented from the impact of falling from the cocoon to the floor, the head had taken a particularly bad blow. Energon was seeping through the sparkling's fingers from the injury.

Optimus slowly began to let his hand approach the sparkling's shoulder. As soon as he made contact, it's head bolted round to look at the one who'd touched it.

That face, it's expression burned Optimus' mind. It's optics shone into his soul. It was angry, but also, clearly upset. The area underneath it optics were burgundy with rust, with tears of either emotion, it was unclear.

He remembered Alpha Trion telling him one day, sparklings know things we don't. Whilst in the cocoon stage of development, the parents can go to work as normal and go about their normal duties and the sparkling would know they were there. If the parents abandoned it however and moved away from it, it would know straight away that they weren't there.

It was a curious thing and Optimus took it into account, he didn't remove his hand however. Instead, he slowly began to stroke the sparkling's shoulder. He looked into it's own optics with gentle smile, to reassure it that it was safe with him. It merely looked back at him with a frown and tears pouring from it's optics, still clutching the back of it's head and breathing heavily, it shrugged Optimus' hand off. The teen looked at it softly but knew it was going to take the sparkling time to trust anybody, especially as it's parents had abandoned it.

He knelt in closer to the sparkling but slowly so he didn't alarm it.

It kept still, in fear only as to what this stranger might do to him, he came right up close to his audio receptors and breathed down it's neck. It made it shiver with fear,

He began to whisper to the sparkling, gently and calm.

"Listen to me, please," He began, glancing at Ironhide who had stayed a good distance away from what was happening, "My name is Optimus, I am not here to harm you. Yes, your parents aren't here. We don't know who they are or where they've gone, I know you don't trust anyone and I understand that it might be hard to do so. You can trust me, and that's a promise. I won't hurt you or abandon you, I'll stay by your side…" He gently

Back to the present…

Ironhide shook his head free of that memory, and looked back at the cocoon. Would this end up the same way as-

"Woah!" Skids roared from the door way to the high-grade room, Ironhide shot round to see his son pointing in shock towards the cocoon, "Yo Mudflap, check it out!" His red counterpart appeared in the doorway too, and soon gaped at the object that got his twin so hyped up.

"Sweet mother of Primus, check it out!" Mudflap screamed at the top of his vocal processors, and pointed too.

"Shhh," Ironhide shushed them, putting his finger to his mouth, "Calm down, don't shout."

"Why?" Skids whispered back, leaning in to his father with his twin, "What is it?"

"You don't know?" The older mech questioned but then again, he remembered that they'd never seen one in real life before, "Well, I'm saying be quiet because if you talk to loud you'll scare the sparkling."

"Sparkling?" The both whispered at the same time, pulling shocked faces.

"Looks more like a really retarded energon cube, if you ask me," Mudflap commented, Ratchet turned to look at the youngling.

"I'm sure the sparkling would be very happy if he heard you say that," He sarcastically replied, "The sparkling's inside, this is how you and I came to be." Skids and Mudflap pulled such a face at Ratchet, then asked that question.

"So, if that's the sparkling now…" Mudflap began.

"Then how did the cocoon get here?" Skids finished. Ratchet and Ironhide looked at each other, and then back at the twins.

"_Okay_, I think your Mum's looking for you," Ironhide said quickly, giving both a light shove on the shoulder, "Go on and tell the other younglings that they've got to stay out of this area, can you do that for me?"

"Sure thing Dad," They chorused, running off out the door and down the corridor. Ironhide and Ratchet both breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Primus, I thought that only happened in the movies and T.V. shows," Ratchet laughed, "I never though a youngling would actually ask me that question in my whole life, from your kids too!" He chuckled to himself and Ironhide found himself sniggering too, and the two mechs found themselves in a laughing fit.

A little grey, teenaged mech poked his head around he door, and smiled at the sight of the two older mechs laughing.

"Somethangs tickled you, ain't it?" He chuckled, Ratchet and Ironhide turned to the door and saw their younger comrade, curious as ever.

"Ah, Jazz!" Ratchet said, giving a little wave, "You got my message then?"

"Sure did, but I don't see how I can help you with this," Jazz replied, making his way slowly into the room and closer to the cocoon, "I mean, I don't know anythang about cocoons and I ain't seen one before."

"Well, I thought this might be good for a first time and maybe, you could perhaps help raise it. It needs parents, but it also needs a guide and you are the most sensible and best person I can think of for the job."

"Really? You thought o' me?…" Jazz looked from Ratchet to the cocoon, smiling when he could just make out a faint shadow, he knew that was the sparkling, "I could be like a…big brother in a way."

"You could say that Jazz," Ironhide said, ruffling Jazz's head. The smaller mech fidgeted a bit smiled at the older mech, that was so much like a father to him, "The sparkling doesn't have any parents that we know of."

"Kinda like me?"

"Yeah, a little like you but remember, you actually got to be with your parents. This one can't." Ironhide pointed to the cocoon, Jazz looked back at it with a face that felt sorry for it. "So, you know how it feels in a way, you can help it, can't you?"

"I guesso," The little mech quietly replied, the mention of his parents made him little upset but he was strong. He would ask Primus if they were safe silently and then knew they were, so smiled again, "Can I touch it?" He politely asked the medical officer.

"Of course you can, but just put the tip of your finger on it gently," Ratchet guided Jazz's hand towards the cocoon and then let go at Jazz placed his finger onto it, "Is it cold?"

"A lil'," Jazz relied, keeping his finger still so that he didn't disturb the sparkling.

"Okay, slowly place the rest of your hand onto it," Jazz slowly arced his hand around the cocoon until his palm touched it's skin, he jumped slightly at the temperature. Then the cold just seemed to disappear, it just faded away. He relaxed his hand onto the cocoon, and slowly began to stroke it.

"It soft," Jazz commented, turning to Ratchet, "Don't feel slimy though, it feels smooth." The medic smiled at the younger mech, how curious he was and how excited he was.

"Just like you," He turned to Ironhide and chuckled.

"What do you mean?" The weapons specialist frowned.

"You know exactly what I mean, remember when my twins were on the way? You were constantly asking me whether I was okay when it was nearly time for me to have the cocoon, or whether I was feeling anything. Even Arcee wasn't that…questioning."

"I was just…concerned for you, I always have been," an awkward silence bounced around the mechs as Ratchet remembered, how much Ironhide did care for him, especially during his greatest time of need. A question from the young mech broke his trail of thought.

"Ratchet," Jazz asked innocently enough, but with a hint of shyness in his voice.

"Yeah Jazz," Ratchet turned to face the youngling, and Jazz shuffled away from the cocoon and towards the older mech.

"Well, I've been wanting to ask you this but I've always felt…a little embarrassed and rude asking you about it." Jazz blushed a little, wondering if this was a good idea. After all, he didn't want to upset Ratchet.

"You're not going to ask me how they're made are you?" He joked, smiling warmly.

"Eww, hell no!" The youngling cringed at the thought, "Dude I already know, I don't need reminding!" Ratchet and Ironhide's optics both went brighter at what Jazz had said.

"You know how it happens?" The medic questioned, a hint of surprise in tone.

"Yeah and I don't know why 'Hidey' here is shocked, he helped Chromia teach the lesson!"

Ironhide's body froze, and his optics went dimmer with embarrassment. He and Chromia had told the younglings that day not to tell anybody that they were teaching them this, especially that _he_ was telling them how. They did ask for it, but they were all emotionally scarred for life after learning how it was done.

"I'll tease you about that later," Ratchet said plainly, then turned to the youngling, "Now, ask away Jazz, it's alright," He assured Jazz, patting him on the head gently. He smiled a little and took a deep breath, looking the mech in the eye.

"Well…you and Arcee are bonded, right?"

"Yeah."

"I thought that when a mech and a femme were together, the…femme had the cocoon and not the mech so…" Jazz's voice trailed off in embarrassment, he felt so guilty for enquiring as it may have been really personal. He bowed his head and bit his lip, but found himself looking back up to Ratchet, who wasn't angry but wasn't smiling either.

"Well…" He paused, wondering whether he should tell Jazz, but Arcee might have found it a little personal and if Jazz would've accidentally brought it up, it would've made her very upset.

"Never mind man, I was just curious, that's all," Jazz answered quickly, but was calmed by Ratchet putting his hands on his shoulders.

"No no no, if you're curious, I'll tell you. Just promise me you won't say anything about it in front of Arcee, it's a bit of a sensitive issue, okay?"

"Promise," Jazz smiled and nodded, he sat in front of Ratchet, listening to every detail.

"Well, Arcee she - You know how a sparkling is made on the inside, don't you?" Jazz nodded, listening intently, "Well Arcee can do that, but she can't keep the sparkling alive for very long. You get me so far?"

"Yeah man."

"So, when Arcee became pregnant with Sideswipe and Sunstreaker, we had them transferred over to me. Don't ask how, because it's too complicated to explain."

"Okay, and thanks," Jazz smiled, fascinated by what he had just heard, "Sorry if I was being a little nosey man, I was just curious that's all."

"Hey, it's fine Jazz. I would've been surprised if you hadn't seemed curious, anyway, you _taught_ them? You and Chromia taught them how to do it?" He asked, his tone was nothing but shocked. Ironhide sighed, Ratchet never forgot anything, period.

"We didn't…well, we did but we didn't show them anything. We just…told them what the…main…bits are, if you get what I mean," Ironhide's optics were nearly offline with the embarrassment, he bowed his head a little, turning away from his friend and 'adoptive' son.

"Well, that must have been fun," Ratchet smiled smugly, giving Ironhide a quick glance. The weapons specialist scowled, and elbowed Ratchet gently. Ratchet elbowed him back, smiling but tempted to burst into laughter. They looked at each other, scowls versus smiles.

Then Ironhide pushed Ratchet onto the floor and sat on his waist, the medics face dropped.

"Don't even think about it," He said sternly with a frown, trying to push the mech away from him.

"Jazz, pin him down!" Ironhide playfully ordered and the younger mech came over, took Ratchet's arms, pulled them over his head and sat on them.

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Ratchet laughed at Jazz, attempting to pry his arms from underneath the surprisingly strong youngling. Jazz just laughed and smiled, knowing fully what Ironhide was going to do.

With that smile, Ironhide placed his large hand onto Ratchet's abdominal armour. He curled his digits, the tips of them gently running across the abdomen, the medic squeezed his optic covers together in an attempt not to scream in laughter. It tickled so much, why did Ironhide have to take advantage of that?

The weapons specialist looked up at Jazz, they both smiled deviously at each other and both continued to torment Ratchet. He quivered as Jazz ran his hands down Ratchet's servos, and Ironhide also continued to tickle his abdomen. He kept his optic covers tightly shut and his denta gritted, determined not to give them what they wanted.

Ironhide could see that he needed to deliver his trump card, he looked at Jazz and he nodded back. With that, he jabbed Ratchet in the waist and a loud scream was released from the mech's vocal processors as well a several laughs after.

Ratchet wailed as a spasm went through the metal plating of his torso, making him laugh in pleasure. His laughter calmed into gentle chuckles, and his smiled in to a playful frown.

"I hate you guys," He said, joking of course. He loved them with all his spark, like his own brother and son. He just wondered, why? WHY? Why must he have told them where his most ticklish spots where?

Press left, up, down(2), left, up, right, at the New game menu. The screen will flash to confirm the code was entered correctly. Go to the bonus features, then the Generation 1 option to use a G1-homage deco on Jazz. This does not change his appearance in the Decepticon campaign, however.


End file.
